433 pages
English language
Published Aug. 14, 1996 by Baen.
Lackey's story of a young turn of the century female who is brought to the wilds of San Francisco to read books for a reclusive alchemist recreates the fable of the monster who wins the heart of a young woman yet forbids her to view him. For the monster here is a magician caught in a werewolf spell, and the young girl is a destitute young woman with no other choices. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
I first picked this up when I was 14 because the man on the cover had a wolf head. I couldn't put it down. Just a fun, magical romance. I reread it every few years.
